Recently, my dad gave me Around My French Table as a gift (yay!). It’s a beautiful book, with countless recipes I’m eager to try. Predictably, I was most interested in trying out the desserts first.
This spice-poached pears recipe is delightful and perfect for a winter dinner party. I might even call it vanilla-spiced pears, because the flavor of the vanilla bean is so strong and wonderful.
*I take out the pear core with a melon baller.
Dorie Greenspan’s Spice-poached Apples or Pears
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup sugar
3 cups water
Zest and Juice of 1/2 an orange (zest removed in wide strips)
Zest and Juice of 1/2 a lemon (zest removed in wide strips)
2 pieces star anise
1 piece thin cinnamon stick
1 split vanilla bean
3 medium apples or pears – peeled, halved and cored
Put all the ingredients except the fruit in a large saucepan, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. As soon as the liquid boils, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the syrup for 5 minutes.
Carefully drop the apples or pears into the pan and bring the syrup back to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook until the fruit can be pierced easily with a thin knife, 10-15 minutes, depending on the fruit; check early and often. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fruit to a bowl.
Turn up the heat and boil the syrup for 10 minutes, at which point you’ll have about 1 1/4 cups. Pour the syrup over the fruit, cover, and let cool until slightly warm or at room temperature.
*I like to serve it with ice cream or whipped cream.
(Poaching liquid)